Pride and Prejudice
by Evandar
Summary: Yugi, Joey and Ryou are three 'sisters' whose quiet lives are turned upside down by the arrival of newcomers to their town. But will they be able to overcome pride and prejudices? SJ, YY, BR, MA, TD
1. Chapter 1

This is my new fic, spawned from a plot bunny that just wouldn't go away. Read, review and tell me if you want me to continue.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Pride and Prejudice and I never, ever will. There's a lot of stuff from P&P but I'm trying to keep it as close to the book as possible and I mean no offense to anyone by doing this. Please do not sue.

Chapter 1

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.

However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered as the rightful property of somee one or other of their daughters.

One such family was the Mutou family. They were well respected in their local town of Domino but it was regarded as a great shame that Mr Mutou had never been granted a son, instead becoming the father of five lovely daughters. What the majority of people didn't know, including the two youngest Mutou girls, was that Mr Mutou did have a son, three of them in fact, but due to his wife's unstable nature he had been forced to raise them as girls.

As it turned out, the boys had grown to be well suited as girls and had become the three most beautiful young 'women' in the neighbourhood. The eldest, Yugi, was well known as a local beauty, and 'her sister' Josephine (more affectionately referred to as Joey) was in possession of both great looks and a sharp wit. The youngest of the boys, Ryou, however, was more interested in books and the bettering of 'her' mind than anything else.

But their mother's insanity had taken an even more outrageous turn and upon hearing that one of the local manor houses, one Netherfield Park, had been let out to a single young man with a decent fortune she was sent into a frenzy of excitement, and instantly began to plot the marriage of Yugi to this unsuspecting new neighbour.

"My dear Mr Mutou", she cried as she returned from visiting her friend Mrs Long from the town. "Have you heard that Netherfield Park is let at last?"

Mr Mutou replied that he had not.

"But it is", returned she; "for I have just been visiting with Mrs Long, and she told me all about it."

Mr Mutou made no answer.

"Do you not want to know who has taken it?" cried his wife impatiently.

"_You _want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it."

This was invitation enough for his wife.

"Why, my dear, you must know, Mrs Long says that Netherfield Park has been let to a young man of a large fortune from the North. He came down last Monday in a chaise and four to view it, and he was so delighted with it that he agreed at once to take it, and he will be moving in before Michaelmas."

"What is his name?" Mr Mutou asked her.

"Atemu."

"And is he married or single?"

Mr Mutou appeared to have gotten to the most important question of all.

"Oh! He's single, my dear, to be sure! A single man of large fortune; four or five thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls!"

"How so?" Mr Mutou asked nervously, eyeing his wife with suspicion. "How can it affect them?"

"My dear Mr Mutou", his wife replied, "how tiresome you can be! You must have realised that I am thinking of his marrying one of them."

"You think that is his sole purpose of taking up residence here?"

"Why of course!" she cried. "He must be searching for a wife to move into a neighbourhood with so many unattached young women! But it is very likely that he _may _fall in love with one of our girls, and therefore you must visit him as soon as he arrives so that we may get to know him."

"I see no reason for that", Mr Mutou said.

"Consider your daughters! Think how such an establishment would benefit them! Sir William and Lady Devlin are determined to go for the benefit of young Duke, knowing full well that you never go and visit any new comers. They plan to marry _her_ off to Mr Atemu when our girls would be so much more deserving of such a match."

"Very well, I will visit him and drop in a few good words for our two youngest."

"Our youngest! You will do no such thing! While Anzu is well tempered she is nothing in comparison to my Yugi's looks."

"Be that as it may, Anzu and Serenity are far more suited to marriage than any of their 'sisters' due to the nature of their sex, despite being silly and ignorant. If such things could be based on looks or wit or intelligence then I'd be glad to marry off any of the other three but that cannot be done."

"It can be!" she denied. "And it will be."

Mr Mutou merely sighed and returned to his book.

He was a complex man who had married beneath his station to a woman whose only attraction was her looks. He spent most of his time in his library, poring over his fine collection of books and away from his wife. The only one of his children that he had any time for was Joey, who had inherited much of his temperament and all of his sarcasm, though he had a certain fondness for Yugi as well.

His wife was much simpler to assess. Her life revolved around local gossip and the task of marrying off all five of her 'daughters'. She adored Yugi, Serenity and Anzu but paid little attention to Joey and Ryou, not understanding how they could prefer reading quietly to chattering with the local regiment.

The three eldest were close though. Despite their differences in nature they would confide in each other their every thought, knowing that they were connected not only by their blood but by their mother's madness.

That very night Joey and Ryou snuck into Yugi's bedroom to talk about their mother's news. Yugi sat at his dressing table, braiding his distinctive tricoloured hair in preparation for sleep while Ryou sat on a chair by the door and Joey flopped onto Yugi's bed.

"I can't believe that Mother could even think of marrying either of us off", Ryou started.

"She doesn't think well with her condition", Yugi told him softly.

"Yes, well, being raised as a girl wasn't too bad until Mother began to plan our marriages", Joey said. "It gave us an excuse to look at the men who come through here. But we can't let her marry us off, the shame it would bring on our families when our husbands found out what we are. It would spoil any chances of happiness that our sisters might have."

"You're right Joey, you know that, but we don't know what would happen to Mother if we broke her illusion", Yugi replied.

"What does it matter!" Ryou burst out. "Our whole lives have been a crime! If it ever came out, we would be arrested and our family's reputation would be in tatters. It would be better to break an old woman's dellusions than to spent the rest of our lives in gaol and leave our sisters in ruins."

"Then we will just have to keep our vow and refuse any offers that may come our way", Yugi told his younger 'sisters'. "Besides, with both Serenity and Anzu out as well, this Mr Atemu might not even look in our direction."

"Not when they have competition such as you, Yugi", Joey laughed.


	2. Chapter 2

Many thanks to almost everyone who reviewed this fic. As for Ryanrulez...well, I have no intention to listen to some stupid bigot who has nothing better to do than flame people and who can't even spell their own insults correctly. For future reference it's spelt mongoloid. Idiot.

And yes, if by your standards homosexuality is a crime then I should be shot, being bisexual myself. But as no one other than you and your fellow prejudiced dimwits cares, I'll leave it at that.

And if anyone else wants to flame me then think twice. Flames burn, but it's those who play with them that get hurt the most, and besides, if your 'opinion' is just some narrow minded drivel then I'm sure that you can keep it to yourself and just hit the backbutton. The pairings are in the summary, mentions of crossdressing are in the summary, so if this sounds like something you wouldn't like to read then DON'T. I'm not forcing you to read this and to be honest I'd prefer you not to read it if all you're going to do is insult me, my story, the many other homosexuals and bisexuals out there and the readers who do actually like this.

This is your last chance to turn back.

As for those of you who have decided to keep reading this fic then I thank you and hope you enjoy this chapter. I apologise for the rant taking up so much space but I had to get that off my chest.

This chapter is dedicated to bunnical and Enx for their supportive words after the flame. Thanks you guys.

Remember, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Pride and Prejudice. Don't sue! Please review this fic, CONSTRUCTIVE criticism is always welcome.

Chapter 2

Mr Mutou was one of the first ro visit Mr Atemu upon his arrival in Domino. He had lways intended to visit him, although he had obtained a kind of perverse pleasure in teasing his wife with threats of his not going. He had her so convinced that when the evening after the visit had been paid, she was convinced that he would not go.

The details of the visit eventually came to light when he spied his second 'daughter' busying himself in the trimming of a bonnet.

"I hope Mr Atemu will like it Joey", he started conversationally.

"We are never to know _what _Mr Atemu likes", said his mother resentfully, "since you have refused to visit."

"But you forget, mama", said Josephine, "that we will meet him at the next ball, and that Mrs Long has promised to introduce us to him."

"I do not believe that Mrs Long will do such a thing. She has two neices of her own and she is a selfish, hypocritical woman. I have no opinion of her."

"No more have I," said Mr Mutou; "and I'm very glad that you do not depend on her serving you."

Mrs Mutou did not reply to that, but instead she turned to the second youngest of her daughters and began to scold her most severely.

"Do stop coughing, Serenity, for heaven's sake! Have a little compassion on my poor nerves; you're tearing them into pieces."

"Serenity has no discretion in her coughs", said her father; "she times them ill."

"I do not cough for my own amusement", Serenity replied fretfully.

"When is your next ball Joey?" Mr Mutou asked, changing the subject back once more.

"Tomorrow fortnight", Joey replied, not looking up from her ribbons.

"So it is!" cried his mother, "and Mrs Long does not come back until the day before so it will be impossible for her to introduce him, for she will not know him hersef!"

"Then, my dear, you will have an advantage over her, as you will be able to introduce him to _her_."

"That is an impossibility Mr Mutou as I amnot acquainted with him myself; how can you tease me so?"

"I admire your circumspection, my dear", said he. "For one fortnight's acquaintance is very little indeed, however, it is the best that I can provide you with."

His daughters all turned to stare at him, but his wife appeared to think that he was still teasing for she cried out that it was all nonsense.

"What can the meaning of such an emphatic exclamation be?" her husband asked, a twinkle in his eye. "Do you not wish for such an acquaintance?"

"Why of course I wish for it!" she scolded. "How you can tease with the pretense of going to see a man that would be perfect for one of our girls is beyond all my comprehension. It is a cruel sport, Mr Mutou, is your teasing."

"A good thing then", he replied, "that I am no longer teasing you. Indeed, I made the acquaintance of Mr Atemu this morning when I visited him at Netherfield."

It was now the turn of his wife to stare at him in shock. She was momentarily lost for words, a rare thing, and she sat for a moment looking at her husband, her mouth agape before her few senses returned to her and she regained the power of speech.

"Now girls, what a fine figure of a father you have. Is he not good to us? Though a wicked trickster he might b, he means well. Oh! Now we all must decide what to wear for the ball! Yugi, you must wear your blue dress; it goes so well with your complexion. And Anzu, you must wear the green; I would have you in the blue but then you'd be dressed too like your sister. Mr Atemu is sure to dance with you though, even though you are the youngest."

"Yes", Anzu agreed. "For although I am the youngest, I am also by far the tallest, and the best dancer."

Ryou and Joey exchanged looks with each other and their father, who simply raised his eyes towards the heavens and hoped that his wife and daughters found nothing likeable in the young man he had met just that morning. The rest of the evening was taken up with the discussion of ball clothes, when Mr Atemu would return Mr Mutou's call and whether or not they should invite him to dinner.


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks to Slushie Blu, Atemu Yugi Lover34, Enx and harleydbabe222 for reviewing. You guys are the best. Hope you enjoy the chapter. Sorry for the delay; I was busy with college, but I ended up in hospital for a while.

Also, if anyone would be interested in beta'ing this Fic, could they please tell me in a review and leave an email address for me to contact them on, I would be very grateful.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Pride and Prejudice, I never will either so don't sue me.

Chapter 3

No amount of persuasion could tempt Mr Mutou into giving up the appearance of Mr Atemu, and his wife and youngest daughters did indeed try over the days leading up to the ball. Indeed, they thought him most cruel when he barred them all from the lowest floors of the house when the time came for Mr Atemu to return his visit. However, that did not stop them from peeking out of the upper floor windows and discerning that the man had wild hair, wore a blue coat and rode a black horse.

During this time, Mrs Mutou harried her girls into deciding on and preparing their clothes for the ball. She forbade them to wear colours that were too like the clothes of their other sisters, and spent most of her time fussing over Yugi and Anzu, as she was determined to marry one of her favourite daughters off to Mr Atemu.

But despite all her preparations, it was Mrs Mutou herself that made them late for the ball. She could not help but flit between the rooms of her favourites before she got ready herself, and when she did decide to get ready, it left them with little time to get to the Assembly Rooms.

All of the girls were stunning that night in their own way. Yugi had indeed worn his blue gown at the insistance of his mother, and Anzu the green, but the rest had been left to do as they pleased. Serenity was dressed in a rather bright pink gown that had roses embroidered around the sleeves and neckline; Ryou was wearing a plain dress by comparison, but the pale lilac highlighted his white complexion. Joey was also dressed rather plainly, but his dress was the colour of bronze and it seemed to flicker in the light.

They were lucky in that Mr Atemu and his party had not yet arrived at the Assemly when they entered, their father assuring them that they did not need to crane their necks or preen to grasp his attention just yet. Joey, Yugi and Ryou parted company with the rest of their sisters and immediatley sought out their friend; Duke Devlin. The odds of having another in their situation in the world, let alone the same villiage were so low that Duke had become a 'sister' to them from the moment they realised that they shared the same burden. While Duke's circumstances were different, he had become a 'she' out of choice and had faked his own death to become adopted by his own parents as a distant cousin, they were similar in that his family would also be shamed beyond imagining if the secret were ever to come out.

Duke was a very sensible 'girl' and had no ideals of a romantic relationship with a husband; 'she' held no desire for any sort of romance in his life at all. She was, however, a good listener and delighted in hearing all about Mrs Mutou's latest schemes to get her secret sons married of to the nearest unsuspecting, eligable bachelor.

The four 'girls' were happily chattering away about Mr Atemu and what he might be like when the man himself entered the room with the rest of his party. He was quite short and very thin, but he was very handsome withh his tanned skin, wild tricoloured hair and crimson eyes. There was a regal air about him, yet he seemed relaxed and well mannered enough as he greeted those he knew with a smile. The thing that recommended him most to Joey was how much he reminded him of Yugi.

The same compliments could not be bestowed on the rest of Mr Atemu's party. He had brought with him his two sisters, the eldest sister's husband and a young man, whom he introduced as his 'dear friend, Mr Kaiba'. Rumour soon spread around the room that Mr Kaiba earned a fortune of ten thousand a year and owned half of Kyoto, which, along with his very good looks, earned him a favourable glance from the mothers of single girls. These glances and the internal matchmaking soon stopped, as Mr Kaiba was found to be a cold and arrogant man who deemed himself higher than those into whose company he had been thrust.

Completely the opposite of Mr Atemu, who upon his entering the room had delighted all present with his good manners and humour; none so much as Mrs Mutou, whom he had earned most excellent favour by dancing with all of his daughters and repeatedly returning to Yugi throughout the night, only for Mrs Mutou's delight to culminate when he took Yugi over and introduced her personally to his sisters.

Joey amused himself with talking to Duke, although he did dance his share of sets, and watching the surly Mr Kaiba circle the room from the corner of his eye. He had been enjoying himself when Kaiba was intercepted by Atemu who tried to urge him into joining the dance, just two feet away from him.

"Come on Kaiba, I must see you dance", Atemu said.

"Why? Would it amuse you to see me lower myself so far? You, Atemu, have the only girl worth noting as your dance partner, anyway."

"Yes, Miss Mutou is a beauty, isn't she", Atemu agreed. "But she has plenty sisters who are just as fine. Miss Josephine Mutou is a reknowned local beauty as well."

"Yet I can assure you that she has nothing to tempt me", Kaiba snapped. "Go back to your pretty partner and have fun, leave me to make what little amusement I can here, by myself."

Mr Atemu left his side and Kaiba moved on, passing the speechless Joey and Duke on his way. The rest of the night was too much of a blur for Joey to recall later, as his mind revolved around Kaiba's insult.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Thanks to Slushie Blu, lara alexis, Slave of Darkness, Atemu Yugi Lover34, redconvoy and Enx for reviewing. I'm glad you all like this Fic so much.

Also, Enx has agreed to be my beta. Worship Enx!

**Disclaimer:** If you think I own YuGiOh! or Pride and Prejudice, can I have the name of your drug dealer?

---

**_Chapter 4_**

As soon as the three brothers were alone, Yugi could not help but praise Mr. Atemu greatly, more so than he had done in front of his parents and sisters. It had been obvious that Yugi admired the man at the ball, but just how much, Joey and Ryou had not even begun to guess at.

Once again Yugi sat down in front of his dressing table as he talked, busying himself with undoing his hair from its elaborate updo and brushing it out so that it fell down his back in tri-coloured waves. Joey sat on the bed with Ryou next to him, both of them anxiously wanting details of Yugi's experience at the ball.

"I do think that there can not be a more perfect man anywhere in the world," Yugi stated and then sighed. "He is sensible, good humored and lively, with such good breeding and good manners. He was so much at ease with everyone he met!"

"And he is also handsome," Joey pointed out, making Yugi blush slightly, "which is also essential in a young man, if it is possible for him to be so."

Yugi continued on, cheeks still apparently reddened. "I was so flattered and honored by his second invitation to dance with me. I could not have expected it. It was such a compliment."

"Weren't you? That doesn't surprise me since you always get surprised by compliments even though none of us are," Ryou pointed out. "And this has nothing to do with gallantry in his asking you for a second time to dance. Anyone with eyes could clearly see that you were at least five times prettier than any other girl in the room, despite not being one yourself."

Yugi gasped and blushed furiously as he removed another pin from his hair.

"Although he is sensible enough," Ryou continued. "You could have liked a far stupider person."

"_Ryou!_" Yugi cried as Jou laughed softly.

"Then again, it's like you to not think stupidity as a fault," Jou added. "You never see faults in anyone and are far too trusting in your ways."

"If you both will persist in your teasing then I shall send you both away from my room and deny you, Joey and Ryou, the answers to your questions," Yugi threatened, glaring half heartedly in their direction.

Joey and Ryou silenced themselves immediately.

---/YY/RB/SJ/---

Mrs. Mutou's joy over the success of the Ball was only heightened by a letter that had arrived for Yugi two days later. It had been sent from Netherfield and it contained, Yugi told them, an invitation to tea from Mana Atemu.

"OhYugi!" Mrs. Mutou cried. "You must go! Although it is a pity that Mr. Atemu will not be there, it will be a good opportunity to make an impression on his sisters. You will take one of the horses and ride down."

"But Mama, it looks as if it shall rain," Yugi protested. "Can I not take the carriage?"

"Of coursenot," Mrs. Mutou scolded. "It is a fine day with no sign of rain. I insist that you ride to Netherfield. Besides, there is no need for you to try and be so blatant in your attempts to impress anyone when the man of the house is not there."

And so, Yugi relented, although reluctantly. However, not even five minutes after he had left Longbourn did the skies open up and there began a most horrendous thunderstorm.

Joey stared out of the window as the rain splattered against the glass, while lightening forked across the sky, occasionally sending the countryside into sharp relief. He could not help but worry about his older brother. There was no doubt that Yugi would get sick from riding through such a weather.

---/YY/RB/SJ---

"Well, my dear," Mr. Mutou said later that evening upon the arrival of another letter from Netherfield. "It seems that Yugi will get to be better acquainted with Mr. Atemu after all, and most certainly an impression. She has fallen sick after her travels in the rain this afternoon and will have to stay at Netherfield Park definitely."

Mrs. Mutou beamed, while her eldest two remaining daughters exchanged worried glances and cringed. Their mother was clearly doing all she could to reveal their secret.


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks to Yami Yuugi, shinycry, Atemu Yugi Lover34, Silvershadowfire, kingleby, Megs, Enx and Slushie Blu for reviewing this Fic. Your responses have made me smile, especially now that I'm on one of Silvershadowfire's C2s. I checked them out by the way, and I'm very flattered to be on there.

Disclaimer: You think I own this? Sure...now, if you'll hang on for a while, the men in white coats are on their way.

Chapter 5

Joey was very worried about his older brother, and not just because of his sickness. If Mr Atemu, or anyone in his household, were to be made aware of Yugi's true nature...Joey did not want to even think about what could happen. So as soon as his father had finished reading out the letter from Netherfield, Joey asked his permission to leave the very next morning and tend to Yugi. His mother, of course, protested against such action, but Joey was adamant, and in the end his father relented.

As soon as he had finished his breakfast, Joey left for Netherfield, accompanied as far as Domino by Serenity and Anzu. He had ignored his mother's plea to take the carriage and went instead on foot. He had always enjoyed walking, and despite his grim purpose, he could not help but enjoy that morning's walk as well. It took him all of ten minutes to reach his destination through the thick mud, but he did not think of his appearance as his thoughts were consumed by his dear elder brother.

He barely registered anything until he was shown into the Eastern drawing room to be presented to Mr Atemu himself. The room was occupied by more than just the manor's owner; he was sitting with his sisters, Mr Kaiba and Mr Ishtar. The expression of surprise on his face when he realised who Joey was was almost comical, and Joey would have had difficulty in hiding his mirth if he had not worked himself into a fret over Yugi.

"Miss Josephine Mutou", the butler announced as Joey curtsied.

"Thank you Mahaado", Mr Atemu said, rising from his seat and bowing. "Miss Mutou, welcome to Netherfield."

"Thank you Mr Atemu", Joey said breathlessly. "I am sorry for disturbing you, but I have come to ask after my sister. May I see her?"

"Of course, of course", he replied. "I will show you to her room. You are welcome to stay here so that you can tend to her."

"Oh! I could not impose further on your kindness", Joey protested automatically. "You have already done too much by letting my sister stay the night."

"Nonsense, your sister and yourself are most welcome, and I insist that you stay. It would give your sister great comfort, I do not doubt", Atemu replied, waving off his concerns as he led Joey from the room.

No sooner had the door shut than the youngest of the Atemu sisters, Mana, erupted into a shocked tirade about Miss Mutou's appearance and state of dress.

"Why I have never seen anyone visit an aquaintance so poorly dressed!" she cried. "Did you see Mr Kaiba? I dare say that her petticoats were ten inches deep in mud; she must have walked here! To walk in such conditions is so very unladylike, shame on her father for letting her do so. Why, you Mr Kaiba! You would never let your sister do such a thing."

"Of course not", Kaiba murmured, returning his eyes to his book. "However, I did not notice her petticoats, I was rather distracted by Miss Mutou's eyes; they were brightened by the exercised."

Miss Atemu silenced herself instantly upon hearing of his admiration.

---YY/RB/SJ---

"Joey!" Yugi rasped from where he lay on the bed. His eyes were bloodshot and his face was chalk white with sickness. "You came!"

"I had to", Joey replied. "I was so worried Yugi. How are you feeling?"

"Better than yesterday", Yugi admitted. "I must have given Mr Atemu's butler the fright of his life when I fainted, yet everyone here has been so kind to me, and so understanding."

Joey went pale. There were so many things that Yugi could have meant when he had said that. So understanding? Understanding of what?

"Yugi...do they know?" he demanded, his voice suddenly harsh. "Has anyone found out about you? About us? Please tell me they have not; it will ruin us, and our sisters. Yugi, does anyone in this household know that you are male?"

Yugi shook his head vigorously. He had undressed himself when he had come round, Mr Atemu's servants not wanting to invade his privacy. No one had seen, except... Yugi gasped, his eyes going wide as he caught a glimpse of the figure of Mr Atemu standing in the doorway of the room. The man looked shocked, and a little hurt, and Yugi knew instantly that he had overheard.

"Mr Atemu", he whispered. Joey heard him, and turned to stare at the man in horror. Atemu entered the room slowly, shutting the door behind him. He was holding a spare blanket in his arms and he looked extremely awkward.

"I apologise for interrupting", he said softly. "I had gone to fetch you an extra blanket, Miss, Master Mutou."

"Mr Atemu, I can explain", Yugi gasped out, greatly distressed. "I...I mean we, our mother is ill, and she believes that she has only ever borne girls. I did not mean to deceive you in any way."

"You really are male?" Mr Atemu asked, and only continued when he had received an affirmative nod. "Your sisters too? I will not pretend to understand and cause offense by doing so, but I will try to accept this."

"Only the three eldest are male, Mr Atemu", Joey corrected. "Will you keep our secret? I understand that it is unfair of me to ask this of you, but our sisters' reputations depend on it."

"You have my word that I shall not breathe a word of this to anyone", Atemu promised.


End file.
